


A Walk in the Lower Ring

by Unfried_Mouth_Wheat



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Awkward Dates, Ba Sing Se, Blankets, Fluff, It’s soft shit this time, I’ve failed you all, Jet (Avatar) Lives, Katara shows up at the end but she isn’t even named I’m so sorry Katara stans, Kissing, M/M, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, yeah they cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unfried_Mouth_Wheat/pseuds/Unfried_Mouth_Wheat
Summary: Zuko and Jet go on a walk and or date.
Relationships: Jet/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	A Walk in the Lower Ring

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE FORGIVE THE LENGTH I’M LAZY

He was very pointedly ignoring the flyers that littered every surface of the Lower Ring. He wasn't ignoring them completely, obviously, that would be completely idiotic and he wasn't stupid enough to ignore the Avatar's location being handed to him. He just... He had spent so much time Avatar Hunting, he was sure it wouldn't hurt to take a break from it. Father would say otherwise, he was sure.

Father would say he was being lazy, that he must not want to find the Avatar and return home, even though he of all people should know that wasn't the case whatsoever and he would once again be deemed a traitor or at least an even bigger one. The little squeeze in his hand snapped him out of it. Right, the reason he was taking a break at all.

"Li, Li, Li I swear to Oma and Shu or whoever you believe in, you have to look at this, Li, Li please!" Jet said, tugging on his arm and bringing him towards a cart which looked like it was selling blankets, which why would Jet even care about blankets, and he followed. Anything besides looking at those taunting posters.

"Ahhh, these are just like the ones I used to have in my village!" He cried, yanking one off of the cart and rubbing his cheek against it like some kind of Owlcat. Zuko knew about Jet's village, knew what happened to it. It made him feel a little less guilty about what he had done while getting him and Uncle to relative safety.

The cart vendor, however, did not know what happened to Jet's village and was looking rather miffed about Jet just touching unsold inventory. Something about how Jet looked, cheek smushed against the fabric, stopped him from snapping at the other to put it back. Instead he sighed and took out a few silver and copper pieces.

"How much?" He asked the vendor, who didn't reply and rather swiped all the coins from his hand, before lifting their cart and rolling it away. When he turned back to Jet, he wasn't expecting the boy to be that shocked. Not that close.

"Li," he said softly, a rarity between both of them. "You didn't have to do that." Even though he said that, he was still holding the blanket close to his body.

"I wanted to. Is it wrong to want to do something nice?" He huffed. Was it wrong...? No, that didn't make any sense. Why would it be wrong? He was quickly stopped from spiralling into a tangent by two lips being pressed onto his. The kiss was sudden, and brief, but it certainly worked for keeping him in real time.

"Thank you." Jet muttered, arms wrapped around him. While Zuko wasn't against public displays of affection, he wasn't quite used to them so he was a little shaken. He reciprocated the action, if not a little stiffly. Then Jet was pulling away and dragging him off to some other place, blanket wrapped around his shoulders as if it were a shawl.

Zuko liked this about Jet. Even though the other was very prone to focusing on something a bit too much, He was constantly moving from one place to another, as if hopping from branch to branch in a forest. It helped him, to not fixate on what he might have messed up. It was nice, being with Jet. He had no qualms about showing his affection and if he hadn't been stuck with Uncle all these years he may not have been able to respond to it.

•••

"Zuko." His neck practically snapped with his quickly he turned to look at whoever said his name. His real name. If course it was Jet, who then smiled softly. Once again, a rarity between them.

If he was being completely honest he wasn't quite sure how Jet hadn't killed him in his sleep yet. Jet knew who he was now. Knew what he was. Knew how he had attacked a defenceless village, knew how he had almost burnt another to the ground. Knew how he had stolen from a struggling Earth Kingdom family. Knew how he was trying to capture the Avatar. Knew how he was trying to go home.

In all fairness, he had learned about what Jet had done too. It was somehow easy to look past, as whenever Jet was thinking about it he got a look on his face. Regret? Guilt? Shame? Perhaps all three. Still, it made Zuko want to.comfort him. Maybe it was the same way around, although he was still Fire Nation so it didn't make any sense and even if that weren't the case his own crimes absolutely outweighed Jet's. 

He was more willing to believe that it was payment in a way. That because he had managed to break Jet out from underneath whatever that spirits cursed lake was called, Jet now felt indebted to him. That still didn't explain why they were whatever they were now. Did kissing quantify as dating? Or was there some sort of requirement list. Once again he was snapped out of his thoughts by Jet kissing him. This wasn't exactly a pattern he wanted to keep repeating.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He mumbled. Jet smirked, as if waiting for this.

"I wanted to. Is it wrong to want to do something nice?" He said, mimicking his voice. Zuko flushed.

"I don't sound like that!" He growled.

"And I don't have a very grouchy boyfriend." Jet countered. So they were dating!

At this point they were walking around the Lower Ring, enjoying each others company. Their hands were entwined, and Jet was swinging them just slightly. At least that was until he froze and Zuko could quite literally feel his temperature drop.

"Li, we have to go. Like, right now." He said, trying to turn around and walk away. 

"What?" He asked, very confused. Had he finally done something wrong? Those thoughts were quickly wiped out when he saw a very angry, and familiar, Water Bender with a huge wave behind her. Oh.


End file.
